


Effacement

by Niki



Category: Earth 2
Genre: Amnesia, Community: cliche_bingo, F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-18
Updated: 2011-05-18
Packaged: 2017-10-19 13:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/201170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niki/pseuds/Niki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Danziger wakes up in a cave, with a very pregnant Devon Adair, and no idea how any of that happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Effacement

**Author's Note:**

> As the show is not out as R2 it's been some time since I've seen it... sorry for the obvious mistakes.

...

“John! Come on, help me out here.”

The words made no sense, the voice was not familiar, but the ground was hard and the rain was cold, and somehow, with the aid of the owner of the voice, he managed to get up and take a few steps into somewhere dry before everything was black again.

...

“John? Are you awake?”

His head ached, and opening his eyes took a bit more effort than he was used to. Must have been quite a party. The dim light of the... cave? was enough to hurt his eyes, and what he saw confused him even more.

A woman... damn, Devon Adair. The leader of the damn-fool expedition into G889. She didn't look like the distant director of the Adair Industries, or a high and mighty leader, she looked... ruffled, worried – and very pregnant. When did that happen?

“You worried me, John,” she said, smiling, and he realised she was holding his hand. He didn't even remember when they had advanced to the whole first name stage.

“Wha... Where are we?” he managed to get out with a gravelly voice.

She didn't answer before helping him to drink some water from a canteen. She then smoothed his hair back from his forehead with a familiar gesture.

“I found a cave near where we crashed. I had to get you away from the rain.”

“Crash?” His voice was a bit stronger now, but nothing she said seemed to make any sense.

“You don't remember? Don't worry, the rail seems to be fine. I just didn't think it was...” She frowned at his expression. “What?”

“We're down on the planet? G889?”

“Where else? John, are you alright?”

“Why am I on the planet, Adair?”

Her face was shocked. “You mean... what's the last thing you remember?”

“A... an explosion? On the ship... We were trying to find a... True!”

He tried to sit up despite the pain but she stopped him.

“True is fine! She's safe at the colony.”

“Colony?”

“Oh dear,” she whispered, biting her lower lip.

“Look... I realise it's been a while since the explosion,” John started, gesturing towards her stomach. “So are you ready to fill me in?”

He was getting restless, fidgeting a little on the rough ground and she rested her hand on his chest, then drew it back as if burnt.

She obviously didn't know how to behave around him at the moment.

He raised his hands to run them over his face and a piece of metal around one of the fingers caught his attention. A... ring. On his ring finger. He stared at the thick band of something that looked like industrial steel.

His gaze widened.

“After spending the best part of a year fixing and tending to the underside of the truck you said it was probably the most expensive piece of metal in the planet,” she explained, smiling a little.

His eyes moved, and she obligingly raised her own left hand. He was too numb by now to be really surprised to see a matching ring there. He swallowed. How the hell did an Adair get hitched with a drone? How did he marry someone when Ellie...

“Tell me,” he implored hoarsely.

She did. For the best part of an hour she explained about the crash, the survivors, their struggles...

“Your son?” he asked, suddenly remembering he was a syndrome child.

“Completely cured,” she answered, unable to stop the smile that accompanied the idea. The smile turned sad when she went on, quietly: “He calls you 'dad'.”

John closed his eyes, desperate to remember, feeling like he was still unconscious but not sure whether in a dream or a nightmare.

“Tell me,” he said again.

She told him about her decision to lead the group to the seashore, where the colonists would arrive, of his challenge to her leadership, of their fights, their adventures, of betrayal and friendship. She was honest even about her own mistakes, not sparing him of his. Through it all he could follow the thread of growing respect and friendship.

“How did we...?” He made a sweeping gesture with his ringed hand towards her stomach. She blushed.

“Adair? Wait, what do I call you?” he asked sheepishly.

“Devon,” she replied, smiling. “Or Dev. You were the first one who ever did. That's... another story. Are you sure you're up to talking?”

“What happened, anyway? I mean, now. Why are we out here on our own?”

She blushed. “We just... wanted a few days for ourselves. Without the kids. You know, like... a honeymoon.”

“Oh... Oh.”

“We took the rail, planned to camp for a few nights... then this storm started, and... I think a lightning struck a tree next to us because the next thing I knew we'd been hit by a burning branch, you were unconscious, and...”

“Are you alright?” he interrupted.

“Yes, you... you shielded me with your body, took the blow. The rain was pouring down painfully by then but luckily I saw this cave, could rouse you enough to make it here... then you passed out again. Our gear is damaged somehow, and I couldn't contact the Colony...” Her voice told expressively of her worry, one she must still feel. After all, he wasn't... quite himself at the moment. At least, not the 'him' she remembered.

“My head aches a bit, like after an all-night drinking binge. And my muscles hurt. But I think that's it, except for, you know, my memory.”

He could almost believe she was the one who was crazy, was making things up, but she was pregnant, so time had definitely passed from what he remembered. And the look on her face was definitely loving concern, something he had never seen before.

“Tell me,” he asked again, and this time his tone clearly indicated he meant something much more personal.

 

 _She had been so angry. She didn't even remember what the fight had been about but it had been going on for hours, fuelled by their frustration... the reason for it she had had to re-examine when their whispered argument – everyone else was sleeping already so they had taken their argument into the woods – had... transformed._

 _She didn't know who kissed who first, or when the anger turned into blazing lust but without conscious decision they were suddenly devouring each other, his stubble against her face an uncontrollable turn on, his hands, oh god, his hands... she couldn't get close enough, pulling his hard body closer, letting him crush her against the tree behind her, rubbing her body against him... his hands on her behind, raising her, and she wrapped her legs around him, closer, closer, pressing her aching need against his hard masculinity._

 _They were tearing at each others' clothes, his rough panting breath loud in her ear, muffling her moans against his shoulder... And then he was pushing into her, filling the aching emptiness, so rough it hurt but she needed it too much to care, met him thrust for thrust, bracing against the tree. Close, closer... her head banging against the tree as the orgasm shook her like an explosion and then he was thrusting even deeper, harder, and then he was coming, too._

 _Suddenly she became aware of her surroundings, the cool night air, the camp, the tree, John... John. They disentangled, pulling up their clothes, not meeting each other's eyes. Oh god, what had they done?_

 _“I...” She cleared her throat. “Good night,” she mumbled before slipping away._

 _Her legs were wobbly, she felt raw, and he didn't try to stop her._

 _Neither one of them ever referred to the fight – or its explosive finish – again._

 

“That's it? Things just went back to normal after that?”

“Well, hardly normal. We were both avoiding each other. Not hostile... wary. We didn't even dare to fight. The others were actually worried but since we seemed to be co-operating better than before...”

“Really?”

“Honestly? We were both pussyfooting around, careful not to start even the smallest argument.”

“I see. But...?”

“Then I got sick.”

 

 _Third day of nausea and she knew she wasn't wrong. She recognised the symptoms from when she had been expecting Uly. Tender breasts, nausea, sensitivity to smells, and all the little things that wouldn't mean anything on their own but together amounted to a frightening truth._

 _Of all the stupid, irresponsible things she had ever done..._

 _She didn't know what to do, who to tell. John deserved to know, but how would he react with True's mother still alive and left behind? The doc would need to know to help her... and the others would find out sooner or later. How would that affect their attitude toward her?_

 _She still hadn't figured out how to tell John when he walked on her as she was throwing up, safely away from the camp. His worry soon turned into comprehension when he met her guilty look. He stood back up, his hands raised in front of him, palms out, as if warding off an attack. He backed away slowly._

 _It was Alonzo who found her, still weak after her bout of sickness and with tears drying on her face. He carried her into the med tent past the worried faces of the others. Seeing her discomfort, Julia made everyone else leave, even Yale and Uly._

 _Julia was staring at her instruments in confusion when John entered the tent. He went straight to Devon._

 _“I'm sorry I ran,” he said quietly, taking her hand and sitting down next to her lying form. “You're not alone.”_

 _Devon only had time to smile in response before Julia turned and cleared her throat._

 _“Well... congratulations,” she said warily._

 _Apparently her confusion had cleared some with the arrival of a potential, no, make that likely, father._

 _“Everything's fine, then?” John asked, worried._

 _“Yes, as far as I can tell. I can give you something for the nausea, Devon, and we need to increase your food portion but other than that...”_

 _“I don't think I'm ready for the others to know just yet. It would... change the way they look at me and we need... I need to be a leader for now.”_

 _She turned to face John. “We shouldn't have... I mean, the timing couldn't be worse... but I wasn't thinking, I...”_

 _John snorted in amusement, obviously realising she didn't regret the act itself, only its unplanned consequences._

 _“Let's face it, there wasn't much thinking involved,” he said dryly and she blushed._

 _“Well,” Julia decided to ignore the revelation and address Devon's earlier request. “I could just say that you are anaemic, everyone will readily believe that the way you look, and that we need to get more nutrition in you. That will explain the initial rise in your weight, too, but before long it will be too obvious to ignore. And there could be other signs the women at least might be able to pick up.”_

 _“I don't know. I wasn't very moody when I was expecting Uly, and can probably keep things low key all thorough the first trimester and well into the second.”_

 _“Well, that's good.”_

 _She noticed their shared looks then, and cleared her throat again. “I'll... let you two have some privacy.”_

 _She left, and Devon turned to look at John. She noticed he was still holding her hand so he couldn't be too upset with her._

 _“John... I'm sorry,” she said simply._

 _“Don't be. It's not like you planned this... Right?” he checked with exaggerated suspicion that made her laugh._

 _“No,” she said, smiling, but turned serious right after. “What are we going to do?”_

 _John sighed. “I don't know. But I'm here for you. I know I wouldn't be your first choice for a father of your child but I want to help and...”_

 _“No,” Devon said and he was shocked into silence. She hastened to explain. “I mean yes, you would be. My first choice.” Then, trying to lighten the mood again, finished with: “At least under the circumstances!”_

 _There wasn't much choice in G899, after all, but she knew he'd understand she didn't really mean it. She had to make sure, though._

 _“John, you have to know I respect you more than anyone here, I like you... and I'm immensely attracted to you.”_

 _There, it was said. Now he could throw it in her face if he wanted to._

 _“You have to know the feeling's mutual,” John said quietly, then grinned. “After all, you carry the evidence,” he said, placing his other hand on her still flat stomach._

 _She covered it with her own hand. “Oh, John. We're going to have a baby.”_

 

“And that's it?” John asked, looking at Devon, now resting her hand on her not-so-flat stomach.

“Well, that was the beginning. We managed to keep it hidden for weeks – Julia had explained about my anaemia and everyone kept feeding me. And after they noticed how protective you had suddenly become they figured it was something more serious than we were telling, and kept trying to stop me from over-working myself. It was almost worse that after I came back after the cold sleep!”

She had explained about that, too, briefly, so John just nodded and asked her to go on.

“And... us?”

“We... we were not together. But we weren't fighting so much anymore, so we used to have these long conversations and I believe I fully only got to know you then.”

She was silent for a moment, as if lost in a memory.

 

 _It was one of those nights again. She woke up too early, needing to relieve herself, feeling nauseated... She was sitting by the fire pit, slowly sipping something Julia had determined was closest she could get to weak tea on the planet. Whatever it was, it calmed her stomach._

 _At some point, John joined her, and they watched the sun coming up in silence. She leaned into his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her – it was that kind of moment._

 _“Dev... I don't want to push you into anything, but I want you to think about something.”_

 _“Yes?”_

 _“When we get to New Pacifica... I'm going to ask you to marry me.” He raised his hand to stop her from speaking. “No, don't say anything now. Just... think about it.”_

 _She did. The rest of their journey was dotted with new discoveries, new threats, new dangers, new surprises, new adventures and even new friends._

 _And then they reached their destination. The truck had finally died a few kilometres back so they had decided to push on with a light load, certain they were close. When they climbed over a steep rise and first glanced the sea... It was a magical moment._

 _They were running towards the shore (well, Dev had been forbidden to run but she was in the rail so it didn't matter) and when they reached it they were all laughing and hugging and frolicking on the sand like children._

 _Dev pulled John into a hug, smiled and met his eyes. “Yes,” she said._

 _“Dev?”_

 _“John... yes,” she repeated, and this time he got it._

 _“Yeah?” he checked, his own smile widening._

 _“Yeah,” she replied, letting her happiness out in the form of laughter._

 _He pulled her closer, and was soon spinning her around like a child, joining in on her laughter, and then he kissed her, there in the middle of everyone._

 

“We didn't actually get around marrying until much later when we had some sort of permanent colony established and houses built. Then we celebrated our new home and our wedding at the same time and, well, then we left the kids with Yale and came here...” she let her voice die down and showed her worry on her face.

“I'm sorry,” John said suddenly. She turned to look at him. “Some honeymoon, huh. I'm sorry I did this to you.”

“It's not like you did it on purpose. Right?”

The laughter was therapeutic.

“So, how far are we from the others?”

“A couple of hours' ride.”

“You say we can't contact the others. How long would it take for them tom start worrying?”

“Well, they promised not to bother us for a day or two but I think then they'd try to reach us – they know we'd want to check up on the kids.”

“The kids... How are they handling all this?” He did the 'ring-baby-us' wave again.

“Surprisingly well. You know, you're the closest thing to a father Uly has ever had, and when True realised I wasn't trying to take you from her she relented, too, and we've become friends.

“Friends?”

“I told her I wouldn't try to take her mother's place but that I'd always be there for her in any capacity she wanted or needed me to. I love your girl, John,” she finished quietly, obviously realising that in some sense True would always be the most important person in his life.

He awarded her reassurance with a smile.

“I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be trekking for hours in your condition but if I were to go get help...”

“No, John. We don't know how badly you've been hurt. You can't go anywhere alone!”

“But can we stay here?”

“Why not? It's dry, warm, and safe from the elements. We have enough food for a week, we were supposed to stay on our own for a few days, remember? We're well stocked.”

“Then what?”

“I know it's a hard position for both of us – but we wait for rescue.”

 

It came sooner than either one could have hoped. They woke up the next day to Julia's frantic shouts (well, Dev recognised the voice and informed John).

“In here!”

“Thank goodness you are safe!” she exclaimed, rushing in, diaglove ready. “We were worried about the storm, and when we couldn't reach you on the gear...”

“It broke in the crash.”

“Crash? Are you alright?”

“Lightning struck a tree next to us and we went tumbling – Julia, John is suffering from amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” she asked, kneeling down next to John who was looking at her, trying to fit her into everything Devon had told him.

“Dr Heller, I presume,” he drawled.

“You don't remember me?”

“Nope, the last year is all blank.”

“Is he forming new memories normally?”

“Yes, I think so.” Devon frowned.

“Well, I do remember last night,” John offered. “And before that the crash. I mean the explosion in space, not this recent crash.”

“But before the ship you remember everything?” It was Julia's turn to frown.

“Yep.”

“That's odd. Did you hit your head?”

That was the moment Alonzo walked in, with a puzzled look on his face.

“How did we get here, Julia?” he asked.

“Not funny,” Julia snapped.

“Danz? Dev? Why did we decide to crash their honeymoon?” he sounded sincerely confused and Julia got up to face him.

“You really don't remember?”

“I remember... having dinner with Yale and the kids after we'd wished the lovebirds off, and then – puff – we're here.”

“Didn't know amnesia was contagious,” John said.

“On this planet...” Julia just said and moved closer to examine her husband.

“What's that on your hands?” she asked, and they all looked at the black powder that was staining his fingers.

“Dunno,” he said, then raised the hand closer to his face and sniffed. He frowned, shook his head, and stared at Julia in confusion.

“How did we get here, Jules?”

“Didn't we do this bit already?”

“What bit? Danz, Dev... what are you doing in here?”

 

After careful and cautious studies Julie concluded that the cause for the amnesia was the ash from the tree that had burnt down after the lightning struck it. Fresh branches did nothing but the burnt remnants seemed to cause immediate loss of memory. Without further studies Julie couldn't say what determined the amount of lost time or whether John would ever regain his lost year.

They transported him back to the colony and into the newly-finished hospital, where Julia ran more tests and Dev took residence by his bedside (his other injuries had required bed rest despite his protests).

True and Uly were regular visitors too, and John could see Dev had spoken the truth when telling about her current relationship with True. The girl had obviously softened a lot towards the older woman.

John was also almost certain she had almost called Devon 'mother' when they had returned, safe and sound. Well, mostly.

 

John woke up, blinking, confused about where he was. White walls, real bed... hospital? Dev was asleep on a chair next to him, looking uncomfortable.

“Are you out of your shanking mind?” he yelled before having time to consider, and Dev woke with a start.

“What?”

“What are you thinking, sitting cooped up like that? It can't be good for the baby.”

Dev merely stared at him, then suddenly started to smile, a beaming, happy smile. “John?”

“Dev?” he replied with sarcasm.

“You're back!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck.

“What?” he had time to ask before the memories started crashing in.

“Oh damn, Dev” he hugged her closer, as if to protect her (or himself) from the horror he remembered. “Oh, love, I'm so sorry I put you through that,” he whispered against her hair.

Her tears were running against his neck, and he pulled her closer.

“I'm here now. I'm back.”


End file.
